Here it is, it’s 2010, and it’s time for everyone to write down, confess, or talk about their resolutions and possibly break them within the next month or so. For me, instead of losing those last 6 lbs, eating healthier, or going to the gym more often, I have resolved to Be In The Present. The Hubby read me this quote:
In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don’t try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.
Tao Te Ching
I think it’s the most beautiful quote and words to start living by, especially the last sentence, In family life, be completely present. Living in the moment is hard. It’s even harder if you are a mom, and much harder if you are a working mom. You are always thinking, “What are the kids going to have for lunch?”, “Did I sign them up for the correct dance class?”, “Gosh, I really need to buy them some warm, long underwear because it’s really cold out.”, “Did I answer that email from work – the one about (fill-in-the-blank).” In other words, your mind is always on something else, not about what you are currently doing. So, yes, it’s hard to be zen and in the present, but I have to at least try to be in the present, especially when I am with my two girls.
During the week, I spend about an hour and a half in the morning with them and about another hour in the evenings after work. That’s 12 and a 1/2 hours Monday through Friday that I should not be on my Blackberry, on work email, or even just thinking about work. Let’s just also say that those 12 1/2 hours are also before and after the “9-6 work hours” so I really shouldn’t be in work-mode. But it’s 2010, and being “on” 24/7 is the way of life – for anyone, whether you work in a corporate setting or not.
Seriously, it’s 2010: take a close look at your kids, take a look at that picture that is sitting on your desk, think about their smell, the sound of their giggles, the way they hug you and say “I love you, Mommy”. Because it’ll be 2020 in a blink of an eye, and they’ll be 10 years older, and that work email – well, it would’ve been long long forgotten by then.
Staying in the present is probably the biggest present you can give your family.